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Carly Fiorina, 59 years old, was the chief executive of Hewlett-Packard Inc. from 1999 until 2005. In 2010, she ran for the U.S. Senate as a California Republican. She currently chairs Good360, a nonprofit that helps companies donate inventory to charitable groups, and helps organizations with leadership development. Edited excerpts:

Carly Fiorina

carlyfiorina.com

Q: Can I share my political views at the office?

It depends. There’s nothing wrong with people expressing views and getting into dialogue and discussion. In some cases, it enlivens the workplace a little bit. On the other hand, if it gets to be very divisive or disruptive then it gets to be an issue. It’s all about the spirit in which the dialogue happens. Are you really interested in learning someone else’s view and finding some common ground and debating the issue? Or are you trying to beat somebody over the head and say, “You’re wrong and I’m right.” The former’s fine; the latter’s going to be a problem.

I really didn’t [talk politics in the office.] I certainly had my political views. As a CEO, I wasn’t particularly public about them because I was representing the entire company and not everyone in the company might agree with my views. I didn’t want there to be confusion between my view and the company’s view.

[But] it’s not about the level you are; I don’t think there’s a formula like that. It’s about why you are engaging in the conversation. It’s a little bit like a conversation about faith. If you’re having a conversation with a colleague about faith in an empathetic and open minded way and you’re expressing your faith and showing interest in their faith that’s a fine conversation. If you’re proselytizing — politics or faith — it can be an issue in the workplace.

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Written and edited by The Wall Street Journal’s Management & Careers group, At Work covers life on the job, from getting ahead to managing staff to finding passion and purpose in the office. Tips, questions? email us.